Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-01-14


ing at its top the advertisement of q
railroad. The carpet has been patched
to fit. 1t has been sewed and reserved.
and at the edges of the breadth the nap
Is well worn away. A strip of the same
carpet, with six-inch border sewed to
each side of 1T covers the stairs, and this
stair carpet is fastened by silver, headed
nails.
Ascend the stairs. Each step Is worn
thread bare by the tread of thousands of
office-seekers, and at the top of the land
ing white path of the well-worn Brus-
sells marks the road to the presidents re-
ceptlon-room. Stop here a moment and
look before you. There is a window
looking out upon Lafayette park. This
is ornamented with a lambreauin of
green silk which was fine once, but which
Is now faded, stained, threadbare, and
shabby. 1t looks as though it might
have been bought at the auction of q
second-class boarding house. A Holland
shade within it hides its shabbiuess from
the street.
Now walk along the path of the office
seeker. Go through those wide doors of
walnut which are fastened back at the
bottom by scent iron hooks, and yor
Z
man who receives the cards of visitors
and takes them to the president. There
are no seats here to speak of. Loeffier
sits on a walnut chair before fiat
walnut desk, and the only furniture about
him consists of two high-backed chairs,
painted red, which look as though they
were intended for lawn or front porch.
Up two or three steps at the right is an
other landing, leading to the office of
Col. Crook, the discussing olerk of the
white house, on the left hand, and to Col.
Lamont's office, on the right. yellow
Brussels carpet covers the floor of this.
and S12 walnut table serves as a desk
for Arthur, the messenger of Col. Lamont.
In one corner stands a little four gallon
black water-cooler upon cheap oil-cloth.
Under the splggot sits common tin slop
bucket to catch the drippings, and over
the knob at the top is turned Jelly tum-
bier with thick and ragged rim. 1t is
used as drinking glass
Col. Crooks room is large airy, and
well lighted. 1t has a good carpet. two
or three desks, and little safe, in which
he kept the money which runs the white
house. A fire blazes in the fireplace, and
IN front of this lies another SMYRNA rug
the binding of which is sadly frayed.
Who sleeps IN this room l do not know,
but folding bed, with plate-glass front,
arranged so that it looks like a wardrobe,
stands in one corner of the room. and a
close inspection will show the bedclothes
looking out between the cracks.
Col. Lamont has very fair furnished
room. There is a bookcase at one side.
and at different parts of the room two
revolving bookcases made of walnut,
which probably cost SIG apiece. There
are china spittoens in this room, and the
furniture Is upholstered in red leather
Lamont has chair of state big enough
for the fattest king that ever sat upon a
throne. His desk is big fiat walnut one,
and 1t Is usually covered with papers, and
the colonel is very hardworked man.
Beside him at another desk sits Col. Hen
ley, the assistant private secretary, who
IS always writing or opening letters He
opens hunreds Of letters a day, and if he
had cent for each word he writes he
would be one of the richest men in Ameri-
ca. Into Col Lamont's room there are
doors entering from the cabinet room at
the right and the clerks room at the left.
The clerks rooms look like we'll furnished
law offices, and two or three clerks are
here constantly busy. Col. Lamont has
little den in a room off from Col.
Crooks place, where there is telegraph
Office and telephone and a man working
at type writer. When Lamont is very
busy he shuts himself up in this, and he
is as hard to get at as though he we're out
of the city. The cabinet room and that
of the president are, of course, better fur
nlshed than those 1 have so far described
President Cleveland works behind desk
which wa, present from Queen Victoria,
and around him hang beautiful pictures,
and at his right hand blazes bright fire.
At his ba'k are windows giving a magni-
ficent view Of the Potomac and the Vir.
ginia hills, and on the shelves of the
bookcases around the walls is the white
house library.
There Is an elevator in the white house.
though few people know it, and the old
house has as many curious hooks and
corners as you will find in the curiosity
shop OF some "Old Mortality" The old
house has outlived it's usefulness as a
residence. 1t should be turned into
Offices and congress should give an ap-
preparation big enough to refurnish the
business portion of it. The president
should have a residence apart from it,
and have chance to get away from his
work like any other man.